The Latest: Tibetan group protests at China Embassy in India

A conductor leads a band in rehearsals before the opening session of China's 19th Party Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, former Chinese President Hu Jintao, left, and former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, second right, applaud near Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, right, during the opening ceremony of the 19th Party Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. Xi has told a key Communist Party congress that the nation's prospects are bright but the challenges are severe. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, and former Presidents Hu Jintao, left, and Jiang Zemin, right, stand at the beginning of the opening session of China's 19th Party Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

China's top communist leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping observe a moment of silence for fallen comrades during the opening ceremony of the 19th Party Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. Xi has told a key Communist Party congress that the nation's prospects are bright but the challenges are severe. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the 19th Party Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. Having bested his rivals, Xi is primed to consolidate his already considerable power as the ruling Communist Party begins its twice-a-decade national congress on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, waves as he walks ahead of former Chinese Presidents Jiang Zemin, rear center, and Hu Jintao, front left, as they arrive for the opening ceremony of the 19th Party Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. Having bested his rivals, Xi is primed to consolidate his already considerable power as the ruling Communist Party begins its twice-a-decade national congress on Wednesday.(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Exile Tibetans hold themselves together as policemen try to detain them during a protest near the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. Nearly two dozen members of the Tibetan Youth Congress on Wednesday protested opposing a second five-year term for Chinese President Xi Jinpin as the ruling Communist Party's congress meeting opened in Beijing. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, walks ahead of former Chinese Presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao as they arrive for the opening ceremony of the 19th Party Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. Having bested his rivals, Xi is primed to consolidate his already considerable power as the ruling Communist Party begins its twice-a-decade national congress on Wednesday.(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping bows before delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the 19th Party Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. Xi has told a key Communist Party congress that the nation's prospects are bright but the challenges are severe. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, stands with former Chinese President Hu Jintao, left, as former Chinese President Jiang Zemin is assisted into his seat at the opening ceremony of the 19th Party Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. Having bested his rivals, Chinese President Xi Jinping is primed to consolidate his already considerable power as the ruling Communist Party begins its twice-a-decade national congress on Wednesday.(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, right, and former Chinese President Hu Jintao attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Party Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. Xi has told a key Communist Party congress that the nation's prospects are bright but the challenges are severe. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, front right, waves as he walks ahead of former Chinese Presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, left, front, as they arrive for the opening ceremony of the 19th Party Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. Having bested his rivals, Xi is primed to consolidate his already considerable power as the ruling Communist Party begins its twice-a-decade national congress on Wednesday.(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Exile Tibetans shout slogans as police detain them during a protest near the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. Nearly two dozen members of the Tibetan Youth Congress on Wednesday protested opposing a second five-year term for Chinese President Xi Jinpin as the ruling Communist Party's congress meeting opened in Beijing. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

BEIJING — The Latest on the ruling Communist Party's congress meeting in Beijing (all times local):

3 p.m.

Members of the Tibetan Youth Congress have protested at the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi as China's ruling Communists opened their national congress.

The protesters held up placards blaming China for occupation and genocide in Tibet. Indian police blocked the nearly two dozen protesters from entering the building.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to get a second five-year term as party leader at the meeting that opened in Beijing on Wednesday.

The protesters called Xi a dictator whose continued rule would be dangerous.

Tibetan Youth Congress President Tenzing Jigme said in a statement that Tibet had nothing to celebrate as Buddhist monasteries have been destroyed and young Tibetans have self-immolated in frustration.

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1:30 p.m.

President Xi Jinping says China "has the resolve, the confidence and the ability" to defeat any Taiwanese bid for formal independence.

He said Beijing would continue to pursue peaceful means to bring under control the self-governing island but that China would never allow the permanent separation of "any part" of China.

Xi spoke at the opening of the Communist Party's national congress on Wednesday.

Taiwan was a Japanese colony for 50 years, then split from the mainland amid civil war in 1949. China cut off contacts with Taiwan's government last year to punish its independence-leaning president for refusing to endorse Beijing's position that Taiwan is a part of Chinese territory.

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11:20 a.m.

President Xi Jinping has called for China's ruling Communist Party to step up technology development, an area in which Beijing faces complaints it encourages theft of foreign know-how and blocks access to emerging industries.

Xi gave the keynote address at the opening of the party congress Wednesday. He called for making China a "country of innovators" and to create competitors in aerospace, cyberspace, transportation and other areas. Xi promised to promote cooperation among universities, state companies and small enterprises.

China's technology development has prompted complaints by foreign governments and companies that Beijing encourages theft of foreign intellectual property. President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into whether China improperly requires companies to hand over technology as a condition of market access.

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10 a.m.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has told a key Communist Party congress that the nation's prospects are bright but the challenges are severe.

Such warnings have been made by others as China's economy faces pressure from weak global demand that threatens the nation's export industries.

But Xi's comments Wednesday in a keynote speech meant to highlight the party's confidence and long-range vision are an unusual acknowledgement of challenging times ahead.

Xi is expected to get a second five-year term as party leader at the gathering.